The University of Michigan hired outgoing Utah coach Kyle Whittingham to lead the scandal-plagued Wolverines football program.
According to NBC News, the Michigan Wolverines on Friday, December 26, announced a five-year deal with Whittingham, a little more than two weeks after the shocking dismissal and arrest of coach Sherrone Moore.
The program announced the hiring decision Friday night and said Whittingham's five-year contract will run through the 2030 season.
Michigan Athletics Director Warde Manuel said that throughout the search for a new coach, Whittingham "consistently demonstrated the qualities we value at Michigan: vision, resilience, and the ability to build and sustain championship-caliber teams."
"Kyle brings not only a proven track record of success, but also a commitment to creating a program rooted in toughness, physicality, discipline and respect, where student-athletes and coaches represent the university with distinction both on and off the field," he said in a written statement announcing the deal.
Whittingham announced two weeks ago that he was stepping down as the Utah's winningest coach — though the 66-year-old didn't rule out coaching again.
It's been widely reported that Whittingham was leaving his post at Utah after more than two decades to make way for defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley, who had been hired in July 2024 as the “head coach in waiting.”
Had Whittingham returned for the 2026 season, it would have marked a third year of Scalley as a named successor.
